"I'm gonna be straight now any minute, y'all!" declares Billy Porter at one point during his solo show, Ghetto Superstar. But we know he won't be. Porter's story is that of many gay performers -- a tortured inner city adolescence, a long period of denial and self-loathing, tinted with a search for God, and a final acceptance and blossoming.

Born in Pittsburgh, Porter realized his homosexuality-and his love of theatre, dance and song-at an early age. He danced his way through a troubled home life and a religious family, finally achieving some limited success as an actor and singer. But his self-denial prevented him from moving forward and nearly cost him his career when he lost his voice due to stress. Only after he was finally able to accept himself was he able to fulfill his dreams.

Despite the familiar story, Porter makes it feel new to us. The magic of the show lies in his music. The songs about his life are very nearly show tunes but are infused with a funk/soul beat and a hint of gospel. There are the obligatory torch songs, but most of them are fast and fierce, full of power and confidence. He can belt them out, too, especially rollicking numbers like "Black Broadway Bitch." In fact, the show is best when he's singing. His energy doesn't translate to narrative, and so the forward momentum of the evening falters when the music stops. Fortunately, this isn't often.

Somewhere between a solo musical and a cabaret act, Ghetto Superstar is funny and full of attitude. Porter quickly enchants the audience as his magnetic presence easily fills the room. What's lacking in story is more than made up for with good music.